2009 Banff Rockie World Television Awards
Rules & Regulations

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: February 2, 2009
(Materials due in our office by February 7, 2009)

FINAL DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: February 16, 2009
(Materials due in our office by February 21, 2009)

The 2009 Banff Rockie World Television Awards will be presented at the 30th Banff World Television Festival in June 2009. The awards are for films and programs recently telecast (2008, 2009) AND recently completed productions that are primarily intended for telecast. Telecast includes local, network, cable, pay, satellite television broadcast, as well webcasts, podcasts, etc. Productions that have had a wide theatrical release prior to being telecast are NOT eligible. Programs should be submitted in their entirety.

The Banff World Television Awards includes twenty-one genre based categories and two interactive categories recognizing excellence in interactive television.

Judging Process, Nominees, Category Winners and Prizes

Selection Juries appointed by Jury Hosts recruited from around the world will decide nominees for the awards, as well as category winners. (A jury host is an organization who agrees to underwrite and facilitate the screening and judging of one or more categories.) Jury Hosts are recruited by festival organizers.

A Banff Rockie Award will be awarded to the Best of Category in each of the 22 categories.

Selection juries and/or festival organizers may choose additional programs for out of competition (hors concours) recognition.

Best Canadian Program

In addition to the international prizes, a Banff World Television Award will be presented for the Best Canadian Program entered in the competition. Canadian finalists will be screened by an independent jury of Canadian television professionals.

Grand Prize and Special Jury Awards

All category winners and short listed programs nominated for special jury prizes, and any additional prizes will be screened by an International Grand Jury to be convened just prior to the Festival. The International Grand Jury will decide the winner of the Grand Prize as well as Special Jury Awards, and any additional prizes announced during the 2009 competition.

Awards of Merit: Best Fiction, Best non-Ficton Program

In addition to two Special Jury Prizes and the Grand Prize, the Banff Rockie World Television Awards are introducing four new prizes that will be awarded by the International Grand Jury as a way to recognize exceptional merit in program making. Both nominees and category winners are eligible to be short-listed for these Rockie awards. Recommendations from all selection juries in all categories will be short-listed by festival organizers for the international jury to screen and select winners.

Independently Juried Prizes

In addition to the international jury prizes, a Banff Rockie Award will be presented to any independently juried prizes such as the Best Canadian Program where Canadian finalists are screened by an independent jury of Canadian television professionals.

Other independently juried prizes may be announced in the course of the competition and eligibility for any such prizes is based on information supplied on your entry form.

Announcements & Notifications

Programs chosen as nominees will be announced in April 2008 in a live press announcement and available on our website. Winners will be announced at a live awards presentation at The Banff World Television Festival in June 2009. Press releases for both will be sent to international wire services and the trades.

All nominees and hor concours will be emailed notification. It is the entrant’s responsibility to update any contact information that may change from time of entry to announcements.

All nominated programs receive 1 (ONE) complimentary registration to the Banff World Television Festival to facilitate attendance at the Banff Rockie World Television Awards show to accept an award if selected as a winner.

All nominees and hor concours will be mailed (to the address provided at time of entry) an official certificate suitable for framing.

All winning programs will receive a Rockie statuette and framed certificate at the Banff Rockie World Television Awards presentation.

Catalogue

The festival produces an online program catalogue. All online content is taken from original information filled out on the online entry form. The festival reserves the right to edit all synopses for online catalogues. The festival accepts no responsibility in the event its publications reproduce inaccuracies in submitted materials.

Rights Clearance

By entering the 2009 Banff Rockie World Television Awards Program Competition the entrant agrees to grant the rights for:

The festival to make available all program entries in our onsite on demand video library facility during the Banff World Television Festival and unless expressly prohibited, the festival reserves the right to make copies for archival use only, with no commercial exploitation whatsoever.
The festival to use short clips of nominated programs (up to a maximum length of two minutes). These clips may form part of a media announcement and/or be showcased in a conference session highlighting Rockie nominees and/or be webcast on our website www.banff2009.com. The festival also reserves the right to use clips of all entries submitted with the express agreement that use of same would be exclusively for festival promotion and not more than two minutes will be used for such purposes.
In the case of winning programs to use short clips (up to a maximum length of two minutes) in the live awards presentation. The festival also reserves the right to use these clips to promote the competition, future competitions and the winning programs on our website www.banff2009.com
By entering a program into the competition, the entrant warrants that he or she has the authority to enter the program and that the person submitting the entry or entries certifies that he or she has the full authority to hereby grants the rights for clip usage as stated above and authorizes worldwide, royalty free permission for all above uses. If there are any restrictions on such use the owner or entrant must advise us no later than April 15, 2009 and undertakes to use best efforts to secure suitable clearances.
Unless expressively prohibited, the festival may copy any program for use in non-commercial promotional exhibitions including festival exhibition screenings and any supplemental screenings highlighting the best of the festival. The entrant warrants that all material submitted has good and marketable title to the entire submitted work and has secured all music and talent rights for all festival exhibition screenings. The entrant shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless festival organizers from any and all liability, loss, costs, damage, judgment or expense including attorney fees resulting from or arising in any way out of any such claims by any third parties and/or which are based upon, or are the result of any breach of the warranties in this section.

Category Definitions

There are 2 genre program categories, and 2 interactive categories.

Your program is judged in the category you select and an important element of the judging process is that the program represents the category entered.

IT IS THE ENTRANT’S RESPONSIBILTY TO READ CATEGORY DEFINTIONS.

For complete category definitions, click here

For any additional clarification, please contact festival organizers.

A program should be entered in one category only, with this exception: a program may be entered in one of the genre program categories AND into one or more of the interactive categories; separate handling fees are assessed for each category entered.

CHILDREN, FAMILY & YOUTH CATEGORIES (Drama & Documentary)

Children's Programs (2+)
Youth Programs (13+)

ENTERTAINMENT CATEGORIES

Animation Programs
Comedies
Lifestyle & Information
Music or Variety Programs
Reality Format Program

DRAMA CATEGORIES:

Continuing Series & Serial Programs
Made-for-TV-Movies
Mini-Series

INTERACTIVE CATEGORIES

Interactive Program Enhancements
Internet Only Programs

Eligibility

The entry was transmitted or will be transmitted, for the first time anywhere in the world, during the 2008 or 2009 calendar year OR it will be a completed production available for transmission by February 16, 2009.
The entry only had limited theatrical release, or no theatrical release whatsoever, prior to its first transmission.
To avoid duplication of identical entries, we ask that co-production partners confer to decide which organization will be the entrant. Duplicate entries will not be refunded.
Programs submitted to this competition in any previous year are not eligible, with the exception of new episodes of series. Identical resubmitted entries from previous years will not be refunded.

Language

Entries in the competition must be in the English language or have English subtitles or have dialogue dubbed in English. SUBTITLES are preferred.

Technical Requirements

Acceptable formats for submission: DVD NTSC (Region 0/Region free) or VHS NTSC.
Acceptable formats 4:3 or 16:9. Please note.16:9 widescreen aspect images should be in letterbox format so viewing on a conventional aspect (4:3) display can be shown.
Three copies of each program entry must be submitted.

In rare cases, exceptions may be made for PAL submissions and only if submitted by EARLY BIRD Deadline. Prior permission from festival organizers is required.

Other Requirements

No full commercial or long commercial blacks.
No burned in time code.
Completed productions only, no rough or fine cuts.
Please avoid copyright disclaimers beyond the start of the program.
If a program is nominated DVD replacements will be required for VHS submissions.

Fees

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: February 2, 2009

A handling fee of $250 CDN plus 5% GST is due upon submission; please see the category descriptions for the number of episodes/parts required. Fees are non-refundable, including fees paid for duplicate entries. Please confer with co-producers prior to entering.

FINAL DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: February 16, 2009
(Materials due in our office by end of business February 21, 2009)
A handling fee of $275 CDN plus 5% GST is due upon submission; please see the category descriptions for the number of episodes/parts required. Fees are non-refundable, including fees paid for duplicate entries. Please confer with co-producers prior to entering.
An additional $25 CDN administrative fee will be charged to both early bird and final entries paid by cheque, bank draft or wire transfer.
Preferred method of payment is by credit card.
All fees are payable to Achilles Media Ltd.

Please include Promotional Material:

3 digital images emailed to photos@achillesmedia.com (Category and title of program must be included in subject line of emails).
OR 3 High resolution EPS scans on CD ROM
Paper copy of complete credit list and synopsis(s)

Shipping Instructions

All entry materials must be sent PREPAID in bubble packing NOT fiber padded envelopes. All shipping costs including brokerage fees, customs charges, duty and taxes and any additional handling fees are the responsibility of the entrant. We cannot assume responsibility any costs associated with customs clearance. VHS and DVD tapes will not be returned unless requested by entrant. All return shipping costs including brokerage fees, customs charges, duty and taxes remain the responsibility of the entrant.

The greatest possible care will be taken to prevent loss or damage, but in the event of such mishaps, the obligation of the festival organizers is limited to simple replacements costs.

Shipment Check List

3 copies VHS NTSC and/or DVD NTSC – Region 0/Region free
Photo media if applicable
Copy of Online Entry Confirmation (Email sent to you after entering online)
Complete credits & full synopsis in print
Payment details if cheque / bank draft or wire transfer is payment method
Check Payment Sender for shipment charges and Payment Sender for all custom charges if shipping by courier

Ship (Prepaid) by courier or mail to:

All entries must be received in our office end of business day February 2, 2009 for Early Bird Deadline submissions or February 16, 2009 for Final Deadline submissions.

Banff Rockie World Television Awards
Achilles Media
102 Boulder Crescent, Suite 202
Canmore, AB T1W 1L2
Tel: 1-403-678-1216

All international shipments must include a pro forma invoice (in triplicate) with a complete description of content and value; listing in English and the original language if other than English.

Pro Forma invoices MUST be on the outside of package so couriers can easily locate. Please label "invoice enclosed" and include:

The title of each entry and the number of cassettes/DVDs.
The value of the content (replacement value only to a maximum of $50 CDN per shipment).
A declaration the "The contents are not for sale - for exhibition purposes only during The Banff World Television Festival 2009 Program Competition"